The Burren upland region stretches across approximately 36,000 hectares of north Clare and south Galway, with the adjacent Burren lowland region extending over 20,000 hectares to the east.
Formed some 340 million years ago at the bottom of a warm, shallow sea, the fossil-rich layers of limestone that characterise the Burren have been modified by millions of years of glacial, tectonic, solutional and human processes.
Established in 2006, the aims of the Environmental Protection of the Burren through Visitor Management Initiative are to develop self-regulated, one-way driving routes for coach tours, reduce traffic congestion at key areas and provide safe off-road viewing points at popular beauty spots.
The objectives of the three-year scheme include the improvement of infrastructure, the provision of touch-screen digital information hubs, the development of themed walking routes, and the designation and promotion of various gateway entry points to the Burren at five key locations. A new signage plan will be developed in collaboration with the local community to assist with this traffic strategy and to guide visitors through the Burren.